Thomas Jefferson Papers

Notes on Composition Ornaments, 17 March 1803

Notes on Composition Ornaments


Andrews George

Mar. 17. 1803. the composition ornaments arrive for the fireplace of the Chamber, a [b]it like those of the entablature of the room.


for the pediments of the windows & arches of the Dining room & Tea-room

metops roses
for 6. windows 18 + 18 = 36
1. double arch 12 + 12 = 24
1. single do.  6 +  6 = 12
36 + 36 = 72
to wit. 36. metops of the size of those i[n th]e parlour
36. roses to lie in 6. I. square not in the frize of the inside window of the dining room the metops & roses will be confined to 5¼ I height, that being the height of the frize; & as the frize is 64¾ I. long the triglyphs, metops & roses will be disposed as follows
from the end of the frize to center of 1st. triglyph 3.½
6. metops & triglyphs @ 9⅝ 57.¾
from center of east1 triglyph to end of frize  3 ½
64¾

note the triglyph is 3½ I. wide

the spaces for the metops will be 6⅛ I wide


over the arches & the windows of the tea room, there are to be no pediments, but only frize boards to tack curtains to. these frize boards of the arches will be 11. f. 3 I. long, & 6. I. wide

the frize-boards of the windows of the tea room will be 5. f. long & 6. I. wide


for the parlour these are the ornaments compleat for the Corinthian cornice round the room, also as follows for the windows & door

4. windows, 3 sets of ornaments & a metop extra2 for each.
2. doors 4 sets of do. & a metop extra for each
[fire]place 3 sets of do & a metop extra

making in all 23. sets & 7. metops extra.


the following therefore gives a view of the whole ornaments for the windows, doors & arches of the Parlour Dining room & tea room. viz.

23. sets of ornaments (same as for frize of the parlour, for parlour

43. metops, to wit 7. for the parlour & 36. Ding & Tea rooms

36. roses for the Dining & Tea rooms.

MS (ViU); entirely in TJ’s hand; written on verso of Statement of Account with George Andrews, 22 Feb. 1803; blurred.

For TJ’s order with George Andrews for the composition ornaments that adorned several rooms in Monticello, see Vol. 39:98–9n, 563–4.

1Word interlined.

2Preceding three words and ampersand interlined.

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